The Unofficial Anthem of Durin's Folk
by Hobbsy3
Summary: "Thorin blamed Dwalin. It was all entirely, one hundred percent Dwalin's fault." When a drunken Thorin is coerced into singing his late brother's favorite song, his eavesdropping nephews are amazed by the "Diggy Diggy Hole Song" and adopt it as their anthem, sharing it years later when it's needed on the quest and in the Halls of Mandos. A hilarious oneshot with lots of feels.


**Hey there! So, I don't know what this is. I saw a link to this song on Facebook and I know nothing of the people that made it – I know it wasn't made for the Hobbit or anything like that, but it made me think of it so much that I bought it and then I couldn't get it out of my head and this idea kind of sprang up. I found it hilarious and had to write it, but it kind of massively mutated into something far deeper than I had anticipated. **

**So this is the link to the song, I suggest listening to it while you read or before you read to get the general idea, to follow the link just copy and paste it, removing the spaces I added. I think that should work:**

** www . youtube watch?v=ytWz0qVvBZ0**

**I hope you enjoy it. **

**Read. Enjoy. Review. **

**_The Unofficial Anthem of Durin's Folk. _**

Thorin blamed Dwalin.

It was all entirely, one hundred percent Dwalin's fault. Not even a tiny, miniscule fraction of guilt could be attributed to the king of Durin's folk. Not one bit.

It was _Dwalin's _one hundredth birthday, not Thorin's. It was _Dwalin's _idea to go to one of the disused caverns and with a small party so that Thorin could get as drunk as the rest of them without losing face. It was _Dwalin _who pressed ale after ale into Thorin's hands, goading him and taunting him until the king drank purely to show his friend that he _could _hold his liquor.

Dís would never listen to that, of course, but then again when did Dís ever listen to anything Thorin said?

Whatever his sister thought, it was not Thorin's fault that he was more intoxicated than he had been since well before his father disappeared and left him with the crown over two decades ago.

Glóin and Óin were still at the ale, each desperate not to lose out to their brother, and Thorin had to admit that he was rather impressed by Glóin, who had not yet reached ninety years of age as he put away yet another tankard of good quality ale. Balin was acting as the judge of the contest, though his mind was muddled enough by the alcohol _he _had consumed for the simple task to be a trial for him.

Dwalin and Thorin's visiting cousin, Dain, were dancing around in the middle of the room, each trying to sing a song more bawdy than the other while Thorin watched from a nearby bench, laughing without restraint. Thorin's brother in law, Finn, was dozing against Thorin's shoulder, looking at that moment very much like his thirteen year old son, Fíli. Both father and son looked incredibly innocent and vulnerable when they were asleep – something that neither of them could claim when they woke and lit their faces with mischievous grins.

"Thorin, come sing with us!" Dain called, a wide grin on his face.

Thorin's eyes widened slightly and he shook his head.

"Come on, Thorin!" Dwalin pleaded, the alcohol stealing any ounce of self-respect he had. "Please!"

"Finn!" Thorin hissed, prodding his sister's husband's shoulder. "Finn, wake up, they want me to sing!"

Finn groaned and batted his king's hand away. "You sing goodly, Thorin."

"Well, Finn." Balin corrected from across the room, unable to stop himself despite his inebriation.

Shrugging with a tired moan, Finn patted Thorin's knee. "You sing well goodly, Thorin."

"You're as bad as Kíli." Thorin complained, shoving Finn with his shoulder. "Wake up!"

Dwalin was clearly not interested in the sorry state of Dís' husband. "Why won't you sing, Thorin? You haven't sung for years!"

"I sing for my sister-sons!" Thorin protested.

"Aw, how sweet!" Dain crooned, though he sounded serious as opposed to mocking, with the alcohol bringing out the playful warrior's softer side.

"But you don't sing proper songs!" Dwalin objected.

"Songs about silly women throwing themselves at sillier men?" Thorin snorted. "Those aren't proper songs!"

"Oh aren't they?" Dwalin waggled his eyebrows. "What would _you _call a proper song?"

Finn coughed from beside Thorin, singing loudly with his eyes still tightly shut.

_"Brothers of the mine rejoice!" _

Dain and Dwalin sang the response in unison. _"Swing, swing, swing with me!" _

_"Raise your pick and raise your voice!" _Finn continued.

_"Sing, sing, sing with me!" _Dain and Dwalin responded.

Without even opening his eyes, Finn continued the song's melody loudly.

_"Down and down into the deep_

_Who knows what we'll find beneath?_

_Diamonds, rubies, gold and more,_

_Hidden in the mountain store!" _

Glóin and Óin lowered their drinks to join in with the harmony Finn, Balin Dain and Dwalin delved into.

_"Born underground, suckled from a teat of stone,_

_Raised in the dark, the safety of our mountain home,_

_Skin made of iron, steel in our bones_

_To dig and dig makes us free-"_

Finally opening his eyes, Finn prodded Thorin, grinning with his dark brown eyes and singing the next line with as much feeling as he could muster.

_"Come on brother, sing with me!"_

They all paused and looked at their king expectantly. With a laugh, a drunken Thorin ruffled his brother-in-law's hair roughly and launched into the chorus, the others following him with gusto.

_"I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole!_

_I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole!"_

Leaping up onto a nearby table, Glóin decided to lead the next verse.

_"The sunlight will not reach this low!" _

_"Deep, deep in the mine!" _the others responded.

_"Never seen the blue moon glow," _Glóin sang.

_"Dwarves won't fly so high!" _the others chorused.

_"Fill a glass and down some mead!_

_Stuff your bellies at the feast!" _Glóin chanted, and his brother interrupted him.

_"Stumble home and fall asleep,_

_Dreaming in our mountain keep!" _Óin finished with a flourish, and Glóin kicked him good-naturedly.

With a cheerful yell, the entire group hurled themselves into the song.

_"Born underground, grown inside a rocky womb_

_The earth is our cradle; the mountain shall become our tomb_

_Face us on the battlefield; you will meet your doom_

_We do not fear what lies beneath_

_We can never dig too deep!" _

When sober, Thorin did not agree with that particular line – after all, it had been digging too deep that had awoken Durin's Bane in Moria.

However, Thorin was not sober. He was completely and utterly drunk, and he was grinning widely as he joined his fellows in the chorus twice.

_"I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole!_

_I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole!_

_I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole!_

_I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole!"_

He was not sure how it happened, but by the time they had finished the chorus, all seven of them were standing in the middle of the room with their arms over each other's shoulders, dancing around the room together with their legs flying everywhere as they spun around on the spot.

No one noticed two small, wide eyed dwarflings watching from the doorway.

"Fee, what is they doing?" Kíli whispered in shock, tugging on his brother's sleeve. "Have they all gone mad, Fee? Kíli is very confused…"

"I don't know…" Fíli whispered back, watching his father, uncle and elders prance around clumsily.

"What's that song, Fee?" Kíli asked in a hushed voice. "Kíli doesn't know it…"

"I didn't catch the words." Fíli replied. The noise had led the two curious dwarflings to their elders, but Fíli had been so focused on keeping his brother quiet and safe that he had not been listening to what they sung of. It had to be important – Uncle Thorin only ever sang about important things. "It's probably a song about Erebor – that's what they usually sing about."

"Then why is they dancing like that, Fee?" Kíli's eyes were alight with glee as he watched, and Fíli put his hand on his brother's shoulder to stop the younger from running of to join them.

"Maybe it's a ritual." Fíli shrugged curiously without bothering to correct Kíli's grammar. "Or something like that."

"Oh, Fee, they is all singing again!" Kíli whispered excitedly, and the two little boys settled down to watch.

_"Born underground, suckled from a teat of stone_

_Raised in the dark, the safety of our mountain home_

_Skin made of iron, steel in our bones_

_To dig and dig makes us free_

_Come on brothers sing with me!"_

Fíli and Kíli exchanged excited glances.

This _was _a rather majestic sounding song, despite the slight slurring and apparent drunkenness of their family. It made Fíli feel proud to be a strong dwarf and happy to be safe underground. It was a strong song, an uplifting song, a –

_"I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole!_

_I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole!"_

Fíli's eyes widened as his oh-so-serious uncle sang raucously about "diggy, diggy" holes. Was 'diggy' even a word? That was not quite so majestic.

However, it was downright hilarious, and Fíli had to cover both his own mouth and his brother's to stop their delighted laughter from reaching the joyful adults.

Somehow, Thorin's voice rose above the rest as he sang with the largest smile Fíli had seen since Kíli first spoke his uncle's name. To look upon Fíli's regal uncle, you would think that he had no cares in the world. There was nothing but cheer on his face as he sang with as much enthusiasm as any of the others.

"_I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole!_

_I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole!"_

Fíli beamed as the adults continued to chant the chorus over and over again, spinning around and dancing like hooligans. They were clearly happy, and Fíli had seen far too much unhappiness on their faces of late. It made Fíli feel all warm and content to see his elders so joyful and carefree – especially his uncle. Thorin's smiles were becoming more and more rare and fleeting, but now his face was as bright as their father's and Dain's and Dwalin's and Balin's and Óin's and Glóin's.

Fíli had never seen any of them look so brilliantly happy.

"Come on, Kíli." He whispered. "Let's get home before we get caught."

Kíli looked up in surprise. "What? Why? Fee, Kíli wants to stay please!"

Though he was rarely able to deny his brother anything, Fíli shook his head and took Kíli's hand. "Look at Uncle Thorin."

Kíli dutifully raised his eyes to his singing uncle. "Kíli is looking."

"Have you ever seen him that happy?"

Kíli shook his head, a frown coming onto his face. "No… Fee, does Kíli make Uncle Thorin sad?"

"What?" Fíli shook his head in confusion. "No, of course not! But if he catches us do you think he'll still be happy?"

"Uncle Thorin likes seeing Kíli and his Fee, though." Kíli protested, sticking out his bottom lip.

"Yes, but Amad doesn't like us getting out of bed, and Uncle Thorin doesn't like getting in trouble with Amad," Fíli said wisely. "So let's leave Uncle Thorin alone to have fun and not get in trouble for once."

"But…" Kíli's voice wavered as he watched the dwarves. They were laughing as they sang now, and Kíli looked enchanted. "Kíli likes seeing them happy. It makes Kíli happy."

"Me too…" Fíli murmured, wrapping his arm around his brother. "But I don't want to ruin it."

Kíli hesitated for a moment before turning and lifting his arms up to his brother. Fíli hoisted his baby brother into his arms without complaint, smiling as they slowly snuck away, watching the happy adults for as long as they could before running for home. Miraculously, the dwarflings were able to sneak back home without Amad noticing that they had even been gone and they snuggled into bed without any problems.

The sleeping dwarflings were not woken when Thorin dragged their father back hours later, nor when their mother ordered both Finn and Thorin to sleep in the living room, since she did not want to deal with snoring men.

They woke before their father and their uncle did, though, and they had already eaten breakfast when their incredibly amused mother went to wake up her husband and brother with buckets of water. Fíli and Kíli giggled at the spluttered yells of protest from their elders and they were still giggling when Thorin and Finn slouched into the room.

They both looked awful, but they were grinning slightly as Dís began to ask them what they had done the night before. Fíli was busying himself with some little figurines his mother had bought him from that new toymaker in town, while his brother was engrossed in his own drawings, his little tongue sticking out in concentration as he hummed to himself and drew with intense care.

Fíli's brilliant plan was to keep their escapade the previous night to themselves to keep everyone happy, but he did not realise the tune his baby brother was humming until it was too late.

Sketching away carefully, Kíli started to sing.

_"I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole, _

_Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole!_

_I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole, _

_Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole!" _

Fíli froze as Thorin and Finn stiffened, turning to look at Kíli as one.

_"Kíli!" _Fíli whispered desperately, motioning for his brother to stop singing. They would be caught now, for sure!

The little boy did not notice and continued to sing, adding another stick figure into his picture.

_"Born underground, suckled from a teat of stone_

_Raised in the dark, the safety of our mountain home_

_Skin made of iron, steel in our bones_

_To dig and dig makes us free_

_Come on brothers sing with me!"_

"Fíli, what is your brother singing?" Dís asked slowly as Finn and Thorin exchanged a look behind her back.

"Um…" Fíli glanced at his brother, who was staring up at him. Kíli had finally realised that he probably should not have sung that particular song and his mouth had fallen open slightly as he floundered, unsure of what to do.

Shaking his head, Fíli beamed at his mother and did the only thing he could do.

_"I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole_

_Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole!_

_I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole, _

_Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole!" _

"Where did you learn that song, Fíli?" Dís put her hands on her hips, but there was pain in her eyes and a smile on her lips. Fíli did not understand that combination at all. "I haven't heard that since…"

"Since when?" Fíli frowned.

At the table, Thorin paled and stood up. "Excuse me."

Fíli frowned as his father's eyes widened in realisation and something akin to guilt sprang up in Finn's eyes.

Standing up, Finn swallowed. "I taught it to them, Dís." Fíli and Kíli looked up in surprise. "I wasn't particularly thinking… But I'm glad I did. He'd be disappointed if they didn't know it, wouldn't he?"

Dís' face fell and she swallowed, tears filling her eyes. "Yes… He would be."

"Who would be?" Kíli asked before Fíli could stop him.

"Your uncle Frerin." Finn explained with a sad smile. "That was his favourite song."

Fíli's eyes widened in understanding. His Uncle Frerin had died long before Fíli had been born and he was not spoken of often, but Fíli knew that his mother and uncle had been very, very close to their brother, and he knew that his father had been Frerin's best friend before he even met Dís.

So that was why he had not heard the 'Diggy, Diggy Hole' song before.

"Oh… We won't sing it if it makes you sad, Amad." Fíli promised sadly, but Thorin strode in at that moment and shook his head.

"No, sing it, Fíli. Sing it as much as you want, as loudly as you dare." He said firmly, earning him strange looks from his sister and brother-in-law. "It is a silly song, a childish song, but we have buried our memories for far too long. It is a song that needs to be sung."

"Are you sure?" Kíli asked uncertainly. "Kíli didn't want to make anyone sad…"

"You didn't, darling." Dís insisted. "It was merely a shock to hear it, that's all."

"Come on, lads, let's go and make sure you haven't muddled up the words." Finn held his hands out with a stern look and Fíli and Kíli exchanged glances before taking their father's hands. Thorin followed them outside, pipe in hand, and as soon as they were out of Dís' earshot, Finn put his hands on his hips. "Alright, whose idea was it this time?"

Kíli glumly pointed to himself as the two boys hung their heads.

"We just wanted to see… Mister Dwalin and Mister Glóin were saying that it would be lots of fun and we wanted to see." Fíli explained meekly.

Finn sighed. "You know that we don't like you walking around the mountain on your own, let alone at night. It isn't _safe, _lads, alright? Not when you're still this little. However, we won't tell your mother this time, on the condition that you promise me to _never, ever _wander around at night on your own again, until you are at least fifty years old. Do we have a deal?"

Fíli and Kíli nodded solemnly. They would not break a deal.

"Good…" Finn nodded and shook his head. "Now, let's see about teaching you the words properly."

Fíli's eyes lit up in excitement and he looked to his uncle, who nodded slightly. As the two boys learnt their dead uncle's favourite song at their father's knee, Thorin tried not to wither up and die of embarrassment. Though there was still a heavy, painful grief on his heart whenever he thought of his brother, the song itself actually brought him some relief.

Frerin would smile brilliantly if he could see his nephews learning the ridiculous song.

However, the fact remained that he had been seen dancing like a hooligan while singing a song that included the lyrics 'diggy, diggy hole'. That was certainly not the majestic persona he wanted to portray – how would his nephews ever take him seriously again?

He would never know that seeing Thorin so happy that night was what set his nephews on the path to make him laugh. He never found out that their constant optimism and unwavering loyalty were inspired by a desire to see him as carefree and joyful as he had been that night. He never discovered that the source of their determination and humour was stemmed from a drunken king dancing around and singing about a 'diggy, diggy hole'.

* * *

The company of Thorin Oakenshield was utterly miserable. They had been on the road for less than a month, but the last few days had been nothing but a monotonous trek through a relentless downpour. Tonight, they had found a small cave, but it was scarcely big enough to fit everyone in, and the soaking, grumbling company were snapping at each other like angry dogs.

Kíli found himself squashed to the back next to his brother and the poor Master Baggins, who looked like he was about to run and hide from the grouchy dwarves. The youngest dwarf of the company felt nothing but sympathy for the hobbit – he wanted to run and hide from the grouchy dwarves too.

Kíli hated seeing people miserable. He had inherited his father's gift of making people laugh and used it wherever possible, but he did not have his father's skill, so often Kíli went overboard and ended up irritating people.

That was when he missed his father the most.

Dwalin's shoulder barged into his and the warrior growled in irritation so Kíli shuffled further back without a word until his shoulder was pressed against Fíli's. The arguments around him went over his head as Kíli began to dig a little hole absently with a stick.

_"I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole," _he sang quietly, scratching away with his little stick.

_"Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole,_

_I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole_

_Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole!" _

Fíli sighed heavily and began to sing himself, his voice only a little louder than Kíli's.

_"Brothers of the mine rejoice!" _

Kíli responded. _"Swing, swing, swing with me!" _

_"Raise your pick and raise your voice!" _Fíli continued.

Kíli closed his eyes, his voice becoming a little louder. _"Sing, sing, sing with me!" _

Fíli smiled wryly as the nearest dwarves' arguments began to quieten slightly.

_"Down and down into the deep_

_Who knows what we'll find beneath?_

_Diamonds, rubies, gold and more,_

_Hidden in the mountain store!" _

With equal, tired smiles, the two brothers sang in harmony, their voices weary and their singing far softer than usual.

_"Born underground, suckled from a teat of stone,_

_Raised in the dark, the safety of our mountain home,_

_Skin made of iron, steel in our bones_

_To dig and dig makes us free_

_Come on brothers, sing with me!"_

Kíli was so focused on digging the little hole in the dirt and singing absently with his brother that he did not realise that their song was no longer unnoticed.

_"I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole,_

_I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole_

_Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole!" _

Kíli sighed and leant against his brother's shoulder. If their father was here, surely the tension would be less.

To his surprise, another voice took up the second verse, and it was not Fíli's.

_"The sunlight will not reach this low!" _Glóin sang, a wistful smile on his face.

_"Deep, deep in the mine!" _Óin and Balin joined Fíli and Kíli in responding almost automatically.

Glóin shook his head slowly._ "Never seen the blue moon glow," _

_"Dwarves won't fly so high!" _Dwalin joined Balin, Óin Fíli and Kíli in the response with a sad smile.

_"Fill a glass and down some mead!_

_Stuff your bellies at the feast!" _Glóin chanted more slowly than usual, allowing Óin to take over.

_"Stumble home and fall asleep,_

_Dreaming in our mountain keep!" _Óin finished, and for once the deaf dwarf did not sound out of tune.

Kíli's smile strengthened as Bofur joined the other the six dwarves as they sang in harmony, their voices picking up a little speed as the last remnants of arguments died.

_"Born underground, grown inside a rocky womb_

_The earth is our cradle; the mountain shall become our tomb_

_Face us on the battlefield; you will meet your doom_

_We do not fear what lies beneath_

_We can never dig too deep!" _

Grinning slightly, Ori and Bombur joined the chorus as Bifur nodded along.

_"I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole!_

_I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole!"_

With a wry smile of what looked like resignation, Nori began to sing. Rolling his eyes, Dori added his own voice to the throng.

_"I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole!_

_I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole!"_

During the brief pause, Kíli's eyes flickered up and met Thorin's. He tried not to shrink down, expecting that his uncle would find the impromptu reminder of those they had lost irritating and unnecessary.

However, for the first time in days, Thorin was not scowling. There was the faintest trace of a smile on his cheeks, and he nodded slightly at Kíli.

The happiness in Kíli's heart strengthened his voice as they launched into the final verse.

_"Born underground, suckled from a teat of stone_

_Raised in the dark, the safety of our mountain home_

_Skin made of iron, steel in our bones_

_To dig and dig makes us free_

_Come on brothers sing with me!"_

In the flickering firelight, Kíli thought that he could see Thorin's lips moving along to the lyrics as the song went on.

_"I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole!_

_I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole!_

_I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole!_

_I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole!"_

When they finished, Bofur snorted and then laughed out loud, and soon they were all laughing, even Gandalf, and Thorin was smiling Bilbo was…looking very, very confused.

"It's an old family song." Kíli explained sombrely to the baffled hobbit.

"Is it really?" Bilbo raised his eyebrows.

Kíli laughed softly. "Aye. It is."

Bilbo seemed to believe the young dwarf who smiled slightly and leant back against his brother once more, humming to himself as he scratched away at the dirt.

Somewhere, he was sure, his father was laughing.

* * *

Thorin blamed himself.

It was all entirely, one hundred percent Thorin's fault. Not even a tiny, miniscule fraction of guilt could be attributed to their betrayed hobbit burglar. Not one bit.

It was _Thorin's _betrayal of himself and his kin that had started been the death of him, not Bilbo's. It was _Thorin _who had been too blind to see the danger approaching before it was too late to muster anything but a small army of temporary allies. It was _Thorin _who pressed weapons into his sister-sons' hands and told them to be proud to fight for their gold and their homeland.

Dís would agree with that. Now Dís would agree with what Thorin said.

The moment Thorin had seen Fíli fall, he knew that his life was over. The orc's axe had caught his sister-son's neck and sliced through flesh and bone, and when Fíli fell across his uncle's legs with his head all but severed from his body, Thorin's heart stopped beating. He wanted to cradle the dwarf who was no more than a child, he wanted to stroke Fíli's hair and tell him that everything would be alright, he wanted to _apologise _before the most precious golden treasure in the world was snatched for him, but there was no time even for last words, because Fíli was already gone.

The scream that followed was the most horrendous sound that Thorin had ever heard in his life as Kíli's eyes fell upon his brother. Raising his head weakly, the dwarf king had yearned to tell Kíli to run, to save his own life and abandon a dying king, but he had not the strength to make himself head. When the dreadful scream finally cut out, Kíli did not move. His eyes were wide and his breaths shallow, but he did not move.

Thorin had managed a strangled scream of warning, but it was too late and the volley of arrows landed in Kíli's back, throwing him down next to his brother. Unlike Fíli, Kíli's death was not swift, and Thorin had sobbed as his sister-son choked on his own blood.

"Kíli…" he had begged, but Kíli's eyes were already losing focus and by the time Beorn arrived to take Thorin from the battlefield, Kíli was gone.

Thorin had known then that he would never recover. His heart had stopped beating and his lungs had been crushed. There was no recovery for one who had driven his own life into the dust.

He had been glad to say farewell to Bilbo before he finally closed his eyes for the last time. At least he could make it right for someone.

So now Thorin was standing in the Halls of Mandos, lost and alone.

He felt so guilty, so alone and so broken that he did not think he _wanted _to find his family. How could he face them now? It would be better to curl up into a ball in a corner and hide for all eternity until his soul faded away to a wisp of nothing.

Then he heard it.

_"Born underground, suckled from a teat of stone," _

Thorin looked up, his eyes widening.

_"Raised in the dark, the safety of our mountain home," _

Though his body was but a projection of himself, he felt as though his heart was beating faster as he unconsciously moved towards the faint song.

_"Skin made of iron, steel in our bones," _

Unable to stop himself, Thorin began to run after the growing sound.

_"To dig and dig makes us free," _

A door was ahead, and Thorin knew that the voices were behind it.

_"Come on brothers sing with me!" _

Hesitantly, Thorin opened the door, and his mouth fell open as the pieces of his heart began to knit together.

Frerin's arm was interlinked with Fíli as they skipped around with Finn and Kíli were holding hands and spinning around and around and around as the four dwarves sang loudly and brightly.

_"I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole!_

_I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole!" _

Frerin was the first to see him and Thorin choked as his brother beamed, and then Fíli and Kíli saw him and their eyes lit up and Finn grinned as the once king floundered.

The singing had stopped.

"Thorin," Frerin called happily. "It's been a long time."

Thorin could only nod, and he looked to Fíli and Kíli, automatically searching for the wounds that had slayed them, seeing nothing on their white clothes.

"It's alright, Thorin." Kíli said softly.

Shaking his head, Thorin swallowed. "It is not alright. You should not be here."

Fíli shrugged. "Neither should you, but truly, it is not so bad a place."

"You are too young to be here." Thorin protested. "But it is my fault."

"I agree." Finn nodded, but there was a wry smile on his face as his arm flung around Kíli's shoulders. "But we're together now, so we may as well get used to it."

"I cannot just…" Thorin shook his head and Frerin walked over with the others in tow.

Thorin froze as his brother placed his hands on his shoulder and stared into his eyes.

"I have waited for this for over a hundred years, Thorin. It is over know. So…" Frerin's smile grew as the sparkles in his eyes shone and he sang strongly. "Come on brother, sing with me!"

There was a long pause.

Thorin opened his mouth. "I… I…"

"That's it…" Frerin encouraged, before rolling his eyes when Thorin choked. "Right lads, as we planned then."

All of a sudden Fíli was at his left side while Frerin took his right and they each wrapped an arm around Thorin's torso. Finn stood next to Fíli with Kíli on his other side, wrapping his arms around his sons as Kíli's arm wove around Frerin to make the circle complete. The moment it was, the four dwarves began to dance down the room, skipping around in a circle and singing boisterously.

_"I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole!_

_I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole!" _

And then Thorin saw it in their eyes.

Peace.

Happiness.

_Forgiveness. _

_Love. _

And then Thorin began to sing.

_"I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole!_

_I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole,_

_Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole!" _

**So, I don't know what that was, like I said. I hope you found it amusing :P It started out as a funny one-shot and then it got pretty serious and angsty, before ending up kind of comically again, so I just don't know. **

**The song belongs to the Yogscast which is something/someone/some people I know pretty much nothing about, I just love the song. **

**I hope you enjoyed it! **

**Please do let me know what you thought!**


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